Sheehan: Alan Michael Anthony (Alan)

2008-2010 (Leeds Player Details)(Player Details)

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Born: Athlone, Republic of Ireland: 14-09-1986

Debut v Tranmere Rovers (h): 02-02-2008

5’11” 11st 2lb (2008)

Sheehan joined Leicester City in July 2003 after being spotted by a scout playing for Belvedere FC in Dublin during the 2002-03 season. He became a regular in both the Academy Under-Nineteens and the Reserves, playing at left-back. Capped several times for Ireland at Under-Nineteen level, he was called into the Under-Twenty-One side and made his debut against Israel on 3rd June 2005 in a 2-2 home draw. He went on to score once in five appearances at that level. A free-kick specialist, Sheehan made his breakthrough into the first team when Craig Levein named him in the starting line-up for City's final game of the 2004-05 season against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park in a game that finished 0-0. The Eighteen-year-old picked up the Academy Player of the Season at the club's 2005 awards ceremony. He was given two games in September 2005 and he also came on as a substitute in the final minutes of extra-time in a defeat at Bolton in the League Cup in November. However,after being sent-off in a 1-1 home draw with Crewe Alexandra then suffering a groin injury and Craig Levine leaving Leicester all conspired to see Sheehan make no further appearances in 2005-06. Sheehan signed a new two-year contract with the club that would keep him at the Walkers Stadium until the end of the 2007-08 season. He played in the pre-season games but was unable to break into the City team and so on 7th September 2006 he was loaned to League Two side, Mansfield Town, for a month. He had not played a competitive match for a month and his first requirement was to get match-fit. He had been brought in as a short-term replacement for Mansfield's left back Gareth Jelleyman who had been sidelined with a knee injury for a month. He made his debut at Field Mill in a 4-1 win over Hereford Town on 9th September 2006. Jelleyman recovered and was restored to the team on 23rd September, with Sheehan dropping to the bench, but he came on as thirty-third minute substitute for John Mullins and was a regular for the rest of his stay, having his loan extended for a further month and after he played his final game in a 3-0 win over Grimsby Town in the Football League Trophy he returned to the Foxes, having started nine League games and come off the bench in another and started the one Football League Trophy game.He did not make the Foxes team after his return during the 2006-07 season but broke through in the following season and quickly chipped in with his first two goals for the club on 25th August, in a 4-1 home win over Watford, as the result of a deflection from his twenty-five yard shot, and the second on 18th September in a 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest in the Second Round of the League Cup with the Foxes opening goal in the thirty-first minute to level the scores at 1-1 with a well-taken free kick. He continued to impress and after a 2-0 win at Bristol City on 24th November he was chosen in the "Championship team of the week". He was replaced at half-time by James Chambers in a 1-3 loss at Ipswich Town on 11th December and four days later he was similarly substituted in favour of Collins John in a 0-2 defeat at Hull City. He came on as a final minute substitute in a 2-0 home win over Ipswich Town on Boxing Day and again after fifteen minutes in a 1-1 home draw with Charlton Athletic, in which he himself was substitutes with fourteen minutes remaining. On New Year's Day he was a sixty-second minute substitute in a 1-3 defeat at Queens Park Rangers and did get a full game in the 0-2 defeat at Southampton four days later before losing his place completely. On 31st January 2008 he joined Leeds United on loan for the rest of the season, making his debut in a 2-0 defeat to Tranmere Rovers on 2nd February 2008 when he replaced Ben Parker at left back. However, after just four games in the role, Leeds boss Gary McAllister saw the need to provide extra competition in the position by signing Aston Villa's Stephen O'Halloran also on loan. Despite O'Halloran suffering a serious injury in the warm up to his debut at Swindon Town, Sheehan still lost his Leeds place, this time to Frazer Richardson. On 5th February Sheehan revealed that he had turned down the offer of a renewed two contract at Leicester after his present one had run out at the end of the season. He started to settle into the Leeds team at left-back and scored his first goal in a 1-0 win in an important match at the Keepmoat Stadium where Doncaster Rovers were beaten on 1st April 2008 by a typical Sheehan twenty-five yard free-kick. As Leeds made certain of their play-off place with a 1-0 win at Yeovil on 25th April, he was dismissed in the sixty-fifth minute for a terrible two footed tackle on Lee Peltier. It meant he missed the play-off games, including the Wembley Final. On 1st July 2008 he signed a three year contract, at a fee fixed by tribunal, to make his move to Leeds permanent. He had made Twenty-five starts and four further matches from the bench and scored twice in all games for the Foxes. This comprised one goal in twenty League starts and three from the bench, one start in the F.A. Cup, and one goal in four starts and one game as a substitute in the League Cup. While at Leeds on loan he had made ten League starts and scored once. The move enabled Leeds to free Bradley Johnson up to play in his natural wing role in midfield and allow new signing Andy Robinson to play on the other wing. He was expected to vie with Ben Parker for the left-back spot. His 2008-09 season kicked off with a promising start and he got the second Leeds goal in the thirty-sixth minute with a typical long range effort in a 5-2 win over Crewe Alexandra at Elland Road on 6th September 2008, but in his next game a week later in a 3-1 win at Swindon Town, he was sent off in the ninth minute for another horrendous two-footed tackle this time on Jon-Paul McGovern. The ensuing suspension saw Aidan White take over the left back spot, and after serving his suspension Sheehan was forced to watch on for several weeks as he picked up an injury. He then tried to comeback too quick and, after coming on as a fifty-seventh minute substitute in a 2-4 loss at Rotherham United in the Football League Trophy, he was again sidelined as he aggravated the injury. He was given a game in the disasterous 0-1 F.A. Cup defeat at Histon and Gary McAllister stuck with him until he was sacked on 20th December 2008. It soon became apparent that he did not figure in new Manager Simon Grayson's plans as he gave way to Bradley Johnson. On 23rd March 2009 he joined Crewe Alexandra on loan for the rest of the 2008-09 season, making his debut a day later in a 2-2 draw at Milton Keynes Dons. He returned to Leeds after making three starts in the League. In the pre-season friendly against Blackburn Rovers he made two high profile errors, giving away a penalty and coming close to giving away a second penalty because of ill-judged tackles. Ben Parker was preferred to him when the season started and even when he was injured in the first game, right-footed midfielder Andrew Hughes was preferred as his deputy at left back. Sheehan was obviously not in manager Simon Grayson's future plans. On 1st September 2009 Sheehan joined League One side, Oldham Athletic, on a one month's loan. He made his debut for Oldham in a 1-2 home defeat in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy by Accrington Stanley the same day and three days later he made his League debut against Hartlepool United. He scored his first Oldham goal against MK Dons on 29th September 2009 when he opened the scoring in the eighth minute in a 2-1 home win. He remained at Oldham until 2nd November 2009 and scored once in eight League games and one in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. He was next loaned to Swindon Town initially to 4th January 2010, and made his debut for them in a 1-0 win at Wrexham on 28th November 2009. A good performance against Fulham impressed Swindon Manager, Danny Wilson, and his loan was extended until the end of the season. He went on to score once in twenty-two League starts and two more in each of the F.A. Cup and the play-offs in which Swindon went down to Millwall in the final with Sheehan coming off injured after sixty-seven minutes. He had not played a game for Leeds in the 2009-10 season and it came as no surprise when he was put on the transfer list on 14th May 2010. On 31st August 2010 his contract was cancelled by mutual consent, leaving him free to sign for Swindon Town on a one year contract. He scored one goal in seventeen starts and four games from the bench in the League and made two substitute appearances in the F.A. Cup in his one year stay as a permanent Swindon player. On 3rd June 2011, after being released by Swindon, he signed for League One side, Notts County, on a two-year contract, making his debut for the Magpies in a 3-0 away win at Carlisle United on 6th August 2011. He soon became a regular in the team, becoming captain of the team, and on 3rd July 2013 he signed a one year extension to his contract at Meadow Lane. He scored nine League goals in one hundred and thirteen starts and one game from the bench and also scored one in the F.A. Cup in six starts but started three League Cup and three Football League Trophy games without scoring for Notts County in his three year stay. On 19th June 2014, Sheehan turned down a new contract with County and signed a two year contract for Bradford City, when he joined them on a free transfer. He made a scoring debut for City, netting a forty-ninth minute penalty in a 3-2 home win over Coventry City on 9th August 2014. In January 2015 he had scored once in the League in twelve starts and four games from the bench and had made two starts in the F.A. Cup, two in the League Cup and one in the Football League Trophy without scoring.